It’s been seven years. And…. nothing. In 2010, Georgia enacted the Proof of Citizenship Act to make proof of citizenship a prerequisite to being added to our voter registration rolls.

As I write this article, it has yet to be implemented. Thus, a non-U.S. citizen can easily vote in Georgia elections. All he need do is check the right box on the voter registration application.

Until this law is implemented, Georgia’s system for ensuring that only U.S. citizens vote in Georgia elections has a very large loophole.

How? On the Georgia Application for Voter Registration, there are eight fields of information to complete. In Field 5, there is a place to enter your driver’s license number. If you don’t have one, you are instructed to enter your Social Security Number.

If you don’t have one of those either, you have a third option: check the box on the far right. This box affirmatively states you have neither a driver’s license number nor a Social Security Number. Provided you fill out the rest of the form and check the box claiming to be a U.S. Citizen, you will be added to the Georgia voter registration rolls. No questions asked. Congratulations!

What about Georgia’s Voter ID Law? You can’t vote unless you have some form of photo ID proving your identity and U.S. Citizenship, right? Well, the easiest way to skirt this requirement is to vote by absentee ballot. In Georgia, you do not need a photo ID to vote absentee; nor do you need a notary, a witness, or even an excuse.

Nevertheless, if you insist on illegally voting in person, you are not out of luck. You need only obtain a Georgia Voter Identification Card. To get one, you’ll have to present just two documents: (1) your Voter Precinct Card, which you can download online now that you’re a registered voter; and (2) any document that bears both your name and date of birth. A foreign driver’s license or a foreign Birth Certificate will do nicely.

But, how big a problem is voting by non-citizens? A 2014 study conducted by professors at Old Dominion University and George Mason University concluded that 6.4% of non-citizens voted in the 2008 presidential election. The same study found that 2.2% of non-citizens voted in the 2010 mid-term election.

In the 2016 presidential election, a survey conducted by Americas Majority Foundation concluded that 2.1 to 2.5% of non-citizens voted in the most hotly contested battleground states. In this day of razor-thin political victories, this is more than a little troubling.

Although the Proof of Citizenship Statute still needs tightening, it can be a critical tool in establishing election integrity. It’s past time to implement it. No more waiting.

As Georgia’s next Secretary of State, I’ll close the voter registration loophole for illegal immigrants and other non-citizens in Georgia.

I will resolutely defend Georgia’s vote!

David Belle Isle
Mayor of Alpharetta
Candidate for Georgia Secretary of State

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The front door for election fraud stands wide open in Georgia. It is the absentee ballot. The ink and breath given to the dangers of voting machine, poll book, and database vulnerabilities can be measured by the barrel full. These threats are, of course, valid and must be aggressively met. Learn more here.

Yet, if election integrity is a house, cyber security threats are the back door. The front door is the absentee ballot. And, in Georgia, the door is ajar. No one troubles to lock their back door if they are content to leave their front door open.

In Georgia, the absentee ballot is by far the easiest way to commit election fraud. All other forms of election fraud occur after a photo ID has been presented to an election official. Not so for an absentee ballot.

An absentee ballot can be cast without a photo ID, a notary, or even a witness. You don’t even need to state a reason as to why you were unable to vote in person on any one of the 15 days of early voting or the much-advertised Election Day itself. All you need is a pen, a stamp, and an address.

Georgia is not alone in this vulnerability. States such as Florida, New Jersey, and Texas have also left the front door open. This has led to several different fraudulent attempts known as “vote harvesting.”

In Florida, there are documented reports of operatives filling out absentee ballot applications, tracking their arrival, and then going door-to-door to pressure voters to cast ballots for their candidate.

In New Jersey, they took it a step further. There, operatives tracked the arrival of the absentee ballots and then offered each resident $20 for their ballot, which the operatives then completed and returned.

In Texas, absentee ballots were requested for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The absentee ballot’s never made it to the voters, but were mysteriously completed and returned.

In a Miami mayoral election, absentee ballots were turned in for deceased voters.

The old joke, “my mother voted Republican all her life until she died and became a Democrat,” seems to rings true. So, then, how do we close the front door?

Fortunately, as with most things, the answer is not complicated. First, we need to require a copy, scan, or fax of each voters photo ID be provided with every absentee ballot application. Kansas and Wisconsin already have imposed similar requirements.

Second, in order to vote by way of an absentee ballot, a voter should have an actual reason, such as active military, living abroad, or disability. Indiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee have already adopted such eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot.

At the end of the day, it is imperative that the people of Georgia trust that their leaders have been validly elected. It’s time to close the front door on election fraud.

David Belle Isle
Mayor of Alpharetta
Candidate for Georgia Secretary of State

BELLE ISLE CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENTS FROM ACROSS GEORGIA

ALPHARETTA, GA – After a full month on the road across Georgia with his campaign for Secretary of State, Mayor David Belle Isle announced today endorsements from over 20 mayors statewide. Mayor Gary Thrower (Milledgeville), Mayor Julie Smith (Tifton), and Mayor Robert Price (Locust Grove) all voiced their support for Belle Isle’s candidacy.

“David Belle Isle has always been a leader, visionary, and a man who accomplishes what he sets out to achieve,” said Mayor Thrower of Milledgeville. “I’m excited to support David for Secretary of State because I know he will truly make sure Georgia’s elections are among the safest in the nation.”

“I couldn’t be any prouder to endorse anyone, than endorsing David Belle Isle for Secretary of State,” said Mayor Smith of Tifton. “David brings leadership, great energy and vision for continued economic growth that will serve us all well as we continue to move Georgia forward.”

After reporting more than three times the fundraising results of his competitors in the first disclosure, this initial round of endorsements adds more momentum to Belle Isle’s surging campaign.

Mayor Price of Locust Grove said, “I endorse David because he is an honest man and truly cares about the well-being of all Georgians.”

“Our campaign is all about safe elections and making sure Georgia is the easiest state in the nation to start and grow a business,” Mayor Belle Isle said. “I am proud to have the endorsements of more than 20 elected and trusted mayors from across our state. These are the community leaders who are trusted to make important decisions affecting the quality of life of their constituents and their support means a great deal to me. I am honored to have not just their endorsement but their input and support in my campaign as well. This state is large and we are making significant strides in every community and I am proud that these leaders are a part of our team.”

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DAVID BELLE ISLE ANNOUNCES RUN FOR SECRETARY OF STATE

ALPHARETTA – David Belle Isle officially announced today that he will run as a Republican for Georgia’s Secretary of State.Brian Kemp who currently occupies the post revealed that he would not run for re-election as is seeking a bid for Governor in 2018.

“I want to engage the office of the Secretary of State to create an irresistible home state with unmatched opportunity. Beyond the direct tasks of the Secretary of State stands the role of Keeper of the Seal; a role ideally suited to a mayor’s heart.”

David went on to declare that: “Without question, the first priority of the Secretary of State is voter security.I will work to initiate the very latest in physical and logical cyber security. Backup reporting, closed circuit data storage, and collaborative training for our county election boards are also priorities. I will also work to bridge the gap for our business owners and those who seek to be licensed professionals. I will strive to grow Georgia’s unique economic strengths.”

“This role requires someone who can connect people to resources and make Georgia the easiest state to start and grow a business or start and grow a licensed career,” said Belle Isle. “We can make Georgia the best at what we do best – the marketing of our crops and livestock, the moving of stuff and people, and, of course, technology. I am not looking for a job, I’m looking to get a job done – to lead and connect these industries and their communities one to another.”

“As Mayor of Alpharetta, I helped lead our city to become the best at what we do best, technology. We reimagined and rebuilt our downtown, created events, locations and resources to connect citizens, creating a true sense of affinity and affection for our hometown. I worked hard to create an environment of trust, opportunity and respect. The mission of Secretary of State should be no different. I believe we can move past simply being ‘in’ Georgia to being ‘of’ and forever one Georgia.”

A sixth-generation Georgian, Belle Isle is a graduate of North Hall High School and The University of Georgia.He also holds a JD and MBA from Georgia State University, has practiced corporate law and litigation, and now runs his own business as a real estate attorney at Hipes & Belle Isle, LLC. David has served as Chairman of the North Fulton Mayor’s Association and Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau Board. He also serves as a board member of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the North Fulton Bar Association, Alpharetta Rotary Club, as well as the Alpharetta Business Association and the State Bar of Georgia.

His wife Candice is a former Kindergarten teacher.They have two children, Colton 14, and Kayley 12. They are members of Northpoint Community Church in Alpharetta, GA.